Chapter 91

The sunlight streaming into Class 1-A's homeroom was bright and warm, but to Reiji, it felt oddly distant. He sat at his desk with elbows propped on the surface, chin resting on his hand. The chatter of his classmates was muffled by the steady thrum in his head—the echo of the system's countdown ticking away.

[Override Lock in: 70:38:27]

His vision flickered subtly at the edges every few seconds. A low pulse throbbed at the base of his skull, and a ripple of static passed over his HUD like interference. Even blinking felt sluggish. He tried focusing on the whiteboard, on the lesson handouts—anything to anchor himself against the drifting fog in his mind.

"Morning!" Kaminari called as he entered, slapping a hand on Reiji's desk. "You good, man? You look like you've been crunching numbers all night."

Reiji managed a faint smirk, but his eyes didn't quite match. "Just didn't sleep well."

Midoriya approached next, more quietly and observantly. "Reiji," he said in a lower voice. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just tired," Reiji answered without meeting his eyes.

"You don't look tired," Midoriya replied gently. "You look… distant. Like you're somewhere else."

Before Reiji could respond, Aizawa entered the room and called everyone to attention.

"We're holding a surprise combat exercise today," he announced without preamble. "Outdoors. You've had enough downtime after the festival. Time to stay sharp."

Groans and cheers spread across the class like a wave, but Reiji stood immediately, too fast. Uraraka flinched at his sudden motion.

"I'll go first," he said, voice sharper than he meant.

Aizawa arched an eyebrow, studying him for a brief second, but didn't object. "You'll pair with Kirishima."

The training grounds were breezy and clear. The clouds moved slowly overhead, casting shifting shadows across the arena. Reiji stood across from Kirishima, who wore a broad grin and bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Let's have some fun!" Kirishima called out, pumping his fists.

Reiji nodded, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah. Let's." His voice carried a faint rasp. His body still felt slightly detached.

Aizawa gave the signal.

Kirishima charged in first, arms hardening with his signature quirk. Reiji moved instinctively—sidestepping, ducking, redirecting. His reflexes were still there, crisp and honed. The breeze rushed past his ears as he deflected each blow with just enough control.

He countered with a light swipe of shadow meant to displace—not harm. The first few exchanges went smoothly. Kirishima came in with straight punches and shoulder feints. Reiji redirected them, using low-force evasive tactics, aware of every muscle twitch.

Then it happened.

[Override Adjustment – Calibrating Reflex Control…]

His left arm froze mid-motion. A ripple of static blinded him for a heartbeat. Reiji's field of vision fragmented like broken glass.

Kirishima's hardened fist was already in motion.

Reiji barely managed to duck, the edge of the punch grazing past his ear. He stumbled backward, boots sliding in the dirt. Heart pounding, he recovered just in time to raise a defensive wall of shadow.

But then his body moved again—without his consent. His quirk activated in full for a brief second, shadow tendrils flaring with power and striking harder than he intended, pushing Kirishima back several meters.

"Whoa! That was intense!" Kirishima shouted, catching himself and blinking. "Didn't think you were gonna go that hard!"

Reiji dropped to one knee, sweat dotting his brow. "Sorry… I didn't mean to use that much force."

Kirishima waved it off with his usual cheer. "Hey, no worries! Just made it more exciting!"

But Aizawa, standing at the far end of the field with arms crossed, watched him with a sharper, more assessing gaze. He didn't say a word—but Reiji could tell: his teacher had noticed something wasn't right. Midoriya also lingered nearby, his eyes full of questions he didn't voice.

Reiji excused himself after the match, citing a headache. He walked briskly through the halls, ignoring the murmurs from classmates still lingering after training. He reached the nearest restroom, slipped inside, and locked the door behind him.

He leaned against the sink, palms flat, head lowered. His breath came in uneven bursts.

"Open diagnostics," he whispered, voice tight.

The system responded sluggishly.

[Host Resistance Detected – Override Progression Accelerating]

"What does that mean?" he asked, his tone sharp, bordering on desperation.

[Autonomy Incompatible with Protocol] [Shadow Core Threat Level: Unstable] [Initializing Compensatory Template Integration – Mortal Kombat: Raiden]

A sharp pain shot through Reiji's skull. His eyes widened as he gasped and dropped to his knees. His muscles seized. It felt like lightning was threading through every nerve.

His fingers clawed at the tile. His vision shimmered, then cleared. A new screen opened before him:

[Combat Protocol: Raiden Template UNLOCKED] [Override Halted – Shadow Core Contained Successfully]

His eyes flickered—lightning crackled faintly around his fingers. The strange glyphs and static that had plagued him for days vanished. The air around him seemed to clear, the oppressive pressure gone.

The twitching shadow on the wall stilled instantly. No more erratic movement. No rebellion.

For the first time in days, silence returned to his mind.

Reiji breathed hard, dragging himself to his feet. He stared at his reflection in the mirror—his eyes held a strange gleam, and his hair shifted slightly with static as faint sparks danced across his shoulders. He flexed his hand slowly, watching the lightning dance across his skin.

The system pulsed once more:

[Balance Restored – Override Lock Canceled]

Reiji blinked, stunned. "That… stopped it?"

He looked down at his hand—lightning still danced gently between his fingertips.

"I didn't expect that…" he whispered, voice soft with relief and confusion. "But… maybe now I can breathe again."

As he stood alone, his reflection staring back at him with silent electricity coiled in his core, one thought burned clear:

This was only the beginning. And whatever's coming… I need to be ready.

To be continued.

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